Upon my arrival at Moksha Yoga Burnaby, Eric Mathias, co-owner of the studio, greeted me warmly and gestured for me to take off my shoes and place them on the mat. As we walked bare foot around the studio, I met his partner in life and business, Julia Cowan. Both were proud and excited to talk about their new studio, which opened in the summer of 2011, and their love for Moksha Yoga.

Unlike other yoga studios, they pride themselves on teaching approximately half of the classes offered, and above all, they practice alongside their students when they aren’t teaching. Leading by example, they demonstrate that Moksha Yoga is an art that takes many years of dedication to perfect, and even then, it can still prove to be fulfilling and challenging.

Originally from Ontario, Eric and Julia went to universities in their province. Eric has a PhD in Quantitative Psychology while Julia has a Masters in Physiotherapy; taking their love for the mind and body, they release it through hot yoga. Julia was the first to discover Moksha Yoga and introduced it to Eric. After practicing it religiously for several years and going through more than 800-hours of teacher training, they decided to open their own studio on the West Coast.

They are both extremely environmentally-conscious. From the construction of their studio to ensuring that they continue to be sustainable with the products that they put into their studio, they make it easy to be green. The studio floor is made out of marmoleum, which is made from natural material, like linseed oil, and the entire floor is 100% biodegradable. Using radiant heating panels and energy-efficient washers, they continue to reduce their carbon footprint. Even their cleaning products and mat disinfectants are non-toxic and better for the environment.

They loved the Heights neighbourhood within the first few hours of being in the community. They knew that they’d be able to offer this form of accessible yoga to many people and grow with other like-minded individuals. They love the many park spaces in the area, from the nearby Confederation Park to the trails at SFU where they take their dogs Bodhi and Shiloh; they’ve begun to create their new home in Burnaby Heights.